PV1
Well-known member
I've been hearing rumors about a motorcycle Tesla is working on. Searching online, I can only find stuff from over a year ago that has since been proven false. Anybody else hear of this?
Rumors of a Tesla Motorcycle?
- Thread starter PV1
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phb10186
Well-known member
Id like to see it. No doubt electric bikes are in the pipeline, but as a biker ill say this... the engine is what people hear, and the ability to rev is a good warning sometimes.
Silent bike in a city with lots of traffic and people crossing between buses etc is a recipe for trouble... but im sure they will be amazing nonetheless.
Some of the e-bicycles are as fast as 50cc mopeds these days... its incredible.
Silent bike in a city with lots of traffic and people crossing between buses etc is a recipe for trouble... but im sure they will be amazing nonetheless.
Some of the e-bicycles are as fast as 50cc mopeds these days... its incredible.
My previous EV was a motorcycle. Light like a 250 cc bike. It was a production EV out of California which didn't sell and only about 200 were ever produced. They topped the speed at 30 to make it legally a moped. I modified mine right out of the box to top out at 47mph and added an equal capacity of Lithium batteries in parallel with the high performance lead acid AGM's it was designed around. Lithiums couldn't drive the bike by themselves back then because of the required amp rates. But they did more than double it's range to 45 miles with aggressive urban riding (it would also recharge from any 120v 20 amp outlet in 90 minutes). I rode it for years.
Batteries sure have come a long way since then. This new motorcycle entry has a 28 kWh battery pack;
https://chargedevs.com/newswire/eindhoven-university-team-builds-touring-e-motorcycle-with-236-miles-of-range/
I can't see Tesla bothering with motorcycles (e-bikes maybe). Market is too small etc. I remember seeing Musk (briefly) address this in an interview and it didn't seem likely from his answer.
Yes, the silent operation is a real double edged sword on a motorcycle. Great to have that acceleration and power and still hear what is around you. But you do have to be really aware since nobody hears you coming. Of course if you wish to stay crash free riding any motorcycle you must always be hyper aware anyway
Aerowhatt
Batteries sure have come a long way since then. This new motorcycle entry has a 28 kWh battery pack;
https://chargedevs.com/newswire/eindhoven-university-team-builds-touring-e-motorcycle-with-236-miles-of-range/
I can't see Tesla bothering with motorcycles (e-bikes maybe). Market is too small etc. I remember seeing Musk (briefly) address this in an interview and it didn't seem likely from his answer.
Yes, the silent operation is a real double edged sword on a motorcycle. Great to have that acceleration and power and still hear what is around you. But you do have to be really aware since nobody hears you coming. Of course if you wish to stay crash free riding any motorcycle you must always be hyper aware anyway
Aerowhatt
PV1
Well-known member
eBikes are awesome (just picked up another one yesterday, 1 cm longer and it wouldn't have fit in the i-MiEV :lol: ). At least three people over the weekend were talking about a Tesla motorcycle. I didn't believe it as I usually stay on top of Tesla announcements, but I have yet to hear anything official, hence this thread.
tigger19687
Well-known member
" Of course if you wish to stay crash free riding any motorcycle you must always be hyper aware anyway "
This is why I gave up my Bike years ago. Too much traffic on the road and it was not worth it. I had a new baby and never had the time to ride. I would probably never go back to motorcycle riding ever... which is sad as I did love it !
"This is why I gave up my Bike years ago. Too much traffic on the road and it was not worth it. I had a new baby and never had the time to ride. I would probably never go back to motorcycle riding ever... which is sad as I did love it !
MYTH: Loud pipes save lives
This myth is originated in the very biking world and is has a lot of supporters among both riders and custom aftermarket exhaust pipes manufacturers. Basically, those who claim that loud pipes save lives assume that the louder the noise a motorcycle makes on the road, the more chances they have of being noticed by other road-colleagues and thus less likely the occurrence of an accident.
The truth behind such a claim disproves this myth on so many levels: simple, common physics, common sense or plain reason can bring in countless reasons because this is just a myth. Let's tread the path of physics a bit and analyze what's happening from a strictly mechanical point of view.
Motorcycle exhausts openings are facing towards the rear of the bike, and it's obviously to the back where the gases and all the noise are directed. Assuming that the noise a motorcycle makes travels in an omnidirectional manner is just wrong, because noise is air (or other gases, for what's worth) in movement. With the air/ gas jest directed towards the rear of the bike, it's there where all the noise goes. And if you don't believe this, just 'start your engine in the open and then check the noise levels when facing the bike and behind it, alternatively.
When riding at higher speeds, things are even worse, because you're not only remaining close to the place where all the exhaust gases start to make noise hitting the mass of air, but you're traveling further from that zone as you advance on the road.
Aftermarket exhausts can also be almost as silent as stock ones⌕
Aftermarket exhausts can also be almost as silent as stock onesA loud vest or jacket can help others see you better⌕
A loud vest or jacket can help others see you betterHigh-visibility helmets are good if you want to be seen on the road⌕
High-visibility helmets are good if you want to be seen on the road
Now, having established that pipes generate a lot more noise behind the bike than in front of it, claiming that loud(er) pipes would help getting you noticed by the man driving the car in front sounds just silly. A loud exhaust pipe could come in handy when splitting the lanes at low speed, letting the drivers in front of you know “something is approaching” and maybe preventing them from cutting you off or opening the doors. Analyzing the crash reports, statistics indicate that around 77% of the hazards come in front of the biker, and only 3% approach from behind. What's next, front-facing exhausts?
Having installed modified pipes on a bike may indeed make it sound a lot different, with a touch of more aggressive tone, and could, beyond any shadow of doubt, make the rider feel better about him/herself and his or her machinery. Cool pipes make any bike look better, there's too much truth in here to start a debate; but along with the mean looks come a lot of other things...
Common sense urges us to think about noise pollution: while a rider might believe that the new sound of the bike is the most beautiful music in the world, many others might (and will) strongly disagree. Throttling the bike at 11PM thundering down the alley will simply increase the prejudice most non-bikers have against us, the riders. For most people, this sound is as pleasant as a dumpster truck on a Sunday at 5 AM, after returning from a party and getting one hour of sleep.
Adding “it's my bike and I'll do with it as I see fit” is not helping; au contraire, it just makes a very lame excuse for making excessive noise. Owning a motorcycle does not come with the right to break the noise regulations, and even though a racing exhaust might receive clearance for installation on common bikes, this brings little comfort to the passers-by and traffic-fellows. It's just a matter of being polite and care for those around you.
Aftermarket exhausts will also increase the horsepower (both the loud and the properly muffled ones), but claiming this as the main reason for making excessive noise just doesn't cut it. With most of the motorcycles being manufactured these days already coming with more than sufficient power for pretty much any rider or road conditions, it's rather hard to believe that all that was missing was the 5 or 10 bhp increase granted by a hollow exhaust.
Finally, it's the simple fact that a louder pipe is by no means a proactive or primary safety measure, but a secondary one. Again, learning how to ride well (throttle, turn, brake and so on) and keeping a close eye to the traffic around you are essential to making it home safely.
The first rule of avoiding a crash is not placing yourself in a critical traffic situation, and this means riding carefully and being able to detect the potential hazards early. It's always easier to avoid a nasty situation than to find a safe exit from one.
Installing a better horn, wearing a bright color helmet or a high-visibility jacket/ vest are proven methods of making yourself noticed easier in traffic. Even more, these measures are most likely not to offend anyone, and the roads will be a bit safer having less annoyed, less aggressive drivers.
That's about it with the LPSL (loud pipes save lives) and the “you'll end up dead” myths; check back next week for part 2 of “Most Common Motorcycle Myths Debunked”.
Read more: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/most-common-motorcycle-myths-debunked-part-1-45969.html#ixzz4CzuAnyMf
This myth is originated in the very biking world and is has a lot of supporters among both riders and custom aftermarket exhaust pipes manufacturers. Basically, those who claim that loud pipes save lives assume that the louder the noise a motorcycle makes on the road, the more chances they have of being noticed by other road-colleagues and thus less likely the occurrence of an accident.
The truth behind such a claim disproves this myth on so many levels: simple, common physics, common sense or plain reason can bring in countless reasons because this is just a myth. Let's tread the path of physics a bit and analyze what's happening from a strictly mechanical point of view.
Motorcycle exhausts openings are facing towards the rear of the bike, and it's obviously to the back where the gases and all the noise are directed. Assuming that the noise a motorcycle makes travels in an omnidirectional manner is just wrong, because noise is air (or other gases, for what's worth) in movement. With the air/ gas jest directed towards the rear of the bike, it's there where all the noise goes. And if you don't believe this, just 'start your engine in the open and then check the noise levels when facing the bike and behind it, alternatively.
When riding at higher speeds, things are even worse, because you're not only remaining close to the place where all the exhaust gases start to make noise hitting the mass of air, but you're traveling further from that zone as you advance on the road.
Aftermarket exhausts can also be almost as silent as stock ones⌕
Aftermarket exhausts can also be almost as silent as stock onesA loud vest or jacket can help others see you better⌕
A loud vest or jacket can help others see you betterHigh-visibility helmets are good if you want to be seen on the road⌕
High-visibility helmets are good if you want to be seen on the road
Now, having established that pipes generate a lot more noise behind the bike than in front of it, claiming that loud(er) pipes would help getting you noticed by the man driving the car in front sounds just silly. A loud exhaust pipe could come in handy when splitting the lanes at low speed, letting the drivers in front of you know “something is approaching” and maybe preventing them from cutting you off or opening the doors. Analyzing the crash reports, statistics indicate that around 77% of the hazards come in front of the biker, and only 3% approach from behind. What's next, front-facing exhausts?
Having installed modified pipes on a bike may indeed make it sound a lot different, with a touch of more aggressive tone, and could, beyond any shadow of doubt, make the rider feel better about him/herself and his or her machinery. Cool pipes make any bike look better, there's too much truth in here to start a debate; but along with the mean looks come a lot of other things...
Common sense urges us to think about noise pollution: while a rider might believe that the new sound of the bike is the most beautiful music in the world, many others might (and will) strongly disagree. Throttling the bike at 11PM thundering down the alley will simply increase the prejudice most non-bikers have against us, the riders. For most people, this sound is as pleasant as a dumpster truck on a Sunday at 5 AM, after returning from a party and getting one hour of sleep.
Adding “it's my bike and I'll do with it as I see fit” is not helping; au contraire, it just makes a very lame excuse for making excessive noise. Owning a motorcycle does not come with the right to break the noise regulations, and even though a racing exhaust might receive clearance for installation on common bikes, this brings little comfort to the passers-by and traffic-fellows. It's just a matter of being polite and care for those around you.
Aftermarket exhausts will also increase the horsepower (both the loud and the properly muffled ones), but claiming this as the main reason for making excessive noise just doesn't cut it. With most of the motorcycles being manufactured these days already coming with more than sufficient power for pretty much any rider or road conditions, it's rather hard to believe that all that was missing was the 5 or 10 bhp increase granted by a hollow exhaust.
Finally, it's the simple fact that a louder pipe is by no means a proactive or primary safety measure, but a secondary one. Again, learning how to ride well (throttle, turn, brake and so on) and keeping a close eye to the traffic around you are essential to making it home safely.
The first rule of avoiding a crash is not placing yourself in a critical traffic situation, and this means riding carefully and being able to detect the potential hazards early. It's always easier to avoid a nasty situation than to find a safe exit from one.
Installing a better horn, wearing a bright color helmet or a high-visibility jacket/ vest are proven methods of making yourself noticed easier in traffic. Even more, these measures are most likely not to offend anyone, and the roads will be a bit safer having less annoyed, less aggressive drivers.
That's about it with the LPSL (loud pipes save lives) and the “you'll end up dead” myths; check back next week for part 2 of “Most Common Motorcycle Myths Debunked”.
Read more: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/most-common-motorcycle-myths-debunked-part-1-45969.html#ixzz4CzuAnyMf
Benjamin Nead
Well-known member
If Tesla were to market electric motorcycles, would they require owners to wear clear glass helmets? :lol:
We live out in the country on a 45 MPH road that many go much faster on. Somebody north of us rides a sportbike by our house morning and night, sometimes after dark. I can hear him at least a mile before he gets to the house (even when I'm inside the house) and for about another mile after he goes bygenec said:
I'm not advocating that loud pipes save lives, but the physics of how sound travels obviously doesn't work the way you think it does - If I want to see this guy going by, I have plenty of time to walk from the back yard around the house to see the road before he goes by . . . . . at about 70 MPH! - At 70 I would only have about 50 seconds if I first heard him a mile away and I have more warning than that, so I must be hearing him about 1.5 miles away
It's pretty much equally loud coming and going, BTW
Don
